Generally, the inventive technology described herein relates to storing and dispensing flexible sheet materials. More specifically, the inventive technology involves storing such flexible sheet materials in a space-efficient manner and providing a continuous point-of-use dispensing capability at such stored location. The inventive technology may be particularly suited for providing trash bags in refuse containers.
Many objects in contemporary society take their usefulness from being configured in the form of a flexible sheet. Common examples may include paper, tissues, paper towels, cellophane wrap, tin foil, and the like. From these examples it may be seen that the usefulness of these objects derives at least in part from their flexible sheet configuration, which may confer advantages in storing, dispensing, and utilizing these products.
One frequently seen example of objects taking the form of flexible sheets may be flexible bags. Flexible bags may be common items with a variety of uses in contemporary society. For example, flexible bags may be used in supermarkets to bag groceries, as sandwich bags for domestic use, or perhaps as trash bags for use in refuse containers. The nature of these examples may illustrate the potential desirability of storing such flexible bags at a central location to which is provided convenient access and the ability to retrieve individual bags on an as-needed basis. In particular, the ability to store flexible bags in a space-efficient manner may be desirable so as to maximize the number of such bags on hand for a given volume of storage space. Moreover, providing the ability to continuously dispense bags at their point of use may minimize problems associated with storing such bags at one location and using them at another location.
With particular attention to trash bags used in refuse containers, for example, it may be appreciated that trash bags generally may be flexible bags lining a more rigid refuse container. The trash bag may act to contain refuse placed in the refuse container. When the trash bag is filled to capacity, it may typically be lifted out of the more rigid refuse container and disposed of in an appropriate manner. A subsequent trash bag may then be obtained and placed within the refuse container, acting as a fresh liner capable of holding further refuse.
This process may entail several inefficiencies capable of being rectified. For example, obtaining a subsequent trash bag may involve accessing a storage location for trash bags that is remote from the refuse container, resulting in time and effort to retrieve the trash bag and transport it to the refuse container. Fitting the trash bag into the container also may require a degree of time and effort, for example perhaps by requiring one to bend or reach to position the trash bag within the refuse container and perhaps by requiring the use of one's hands to stretch or shape the trash bag for placement in a configuration to line the refuse container.
Moreover, conventional technologies for storing and dispensing trash bags also may entail drawbacks. For example, serially joining trash bags into a configuration such as a stack or roll may make them convenient to store at a remote location. However, storing such a stack or roll at the location where individual trash bags are to be used—for example, within a refuse container itself—can be difficult, in as much as conventional refuse containers generally may be designed only to hold one trash bag at a time. Moreover, storing such a stack or roll of serially joined trash bags in a refuse container may create difficulties in separating the trash bag to be used from the next bag in the stack or roll. In this situation, conventional technologies for separating trash bags may entail a number of disadvantages, such as perhaps requiring the use of a potentially sharp cutting surface, requiring hand assisted separation of trash bags within the confines of the refuse container, the incomplete or inefficient separation of one trash bag from another, or perhaps requiring a filled trash bag to be removed in its entirety from the refuse container while joined to the next trash bag in sequence, perhaps necessitating their separation in midair.
Of course, it may be appreciated that these issues may arise in the analogous storage and dispensation of a great variety of flexible sheet materials, not limited only to trash bags as exemplified above. The foregoing problems regarding the inefficiencies associated with storing and dispensing flexible sheet materials may represent a long-felt need for an effective solution to the same. While implementing elements may have been available, actual attempts to meet this need may have been lacking to some degree. This may have been due to a failure of those having ordinary skill in the art to fully appreciate or understand the nature of the problems and challenges involved. As a result of this lack of understanding, attempts to meet these long-felt needs may have failed to effectively solve one or more of the problems or challenges here identified. These attempts may even have led away from the technical directions taken by the present inventive technology and may even result in the achievements of the present inventive technology being considered to some degree an unexpected result of the approach taken by some in the field.